I Don't Know You Anymore
by StrongFemaleCharacters
Summary: Hermione wakes up in St Mungo's with the last thing she remembers being the Battle of Hogwarts. How will she deal with it being so far in the future? And how will she pick up where her life was? Not Mature for now, but the rating may change! A Dramione story. Bad summary, sorry for that. THIS STORY IS OFFICIALLY BACK FROM HIATUS! YAY!
1. Chapter 1

Hello, everyone! This is my first fanfiction-ever, so I apologize in advance for any awkward writing of...stuff. This is a Dramione story that I've had rattling around for awhile, because they were my first ship, and why not? Thank you for reading and please read and review.

I own nothing. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling, who I thank everyday for the magical world of Hogwarts. Not literally, though. *laughs nervously*

Chapter 1

 _The fire was rising up around them, and she could hear voices yelling in fear and panic. The brooms wound their way in and out of the stacks of burning items, hidden relics of past Hogwarts students, generation after generation. She could hear Crabbe's screams as he burned, and she winced, turning to bury her face into Ron's back as they flew towards the door._

Hermione jerked awake with a shriek. People around her moved and she felt hands trying to calm her down. When she reached for her wand, she only felt skin and upon looking down, she saw herself in a hospital gown, in a bed. "'Mione, it's me, it's me, calm down," she heard a vaguely familiar voice saying before she slumped back down, gasping. "Where am I? Where's my wand?" she demanded. "How did I get here from the Room of Requirement?"

A man's face appeared over her's, an older wizard. "It's okay, Miss. Please relax. You're at St. Mungo's and we will get everything explained to you in a moment. Just let us see how you're don't know what's happened to you yet."

"Well, find out," the voice from before demanded. The healer turned. "Sir, please wait outside. I'll be out in a moment to tell you how she is. Perhaps the Potters would like to know that she is awake?" A door opened and closed and she jerked backup. "Harry's here? I want to see him." "And you will in a moment. Please, let me check how you are doing, Miss." The healer's voice was still calm and she lay back down. "What happened at the battle? Is it over?We must have won. Why aren't you treating the more serious patients? Don't worry about me! You should be helping others!"

The man looked at her strangely. Then he turned and called for another person who came up and they conversed in low tones, looking at her worriedly. The other healer, a women, came over and began murmuring spells. The first healer straightened up, looking concerned. "Alright, Hermione, I need you to-" The door burst open and red hair appeared. "Hermione! Are you alright! What's happened to her?" Ron directed the last part at the doctor, who now seemed truly worried. "Hermione sat up. "Ron! Oh, thank God. What's going on? What happened at the battle?" He frowned. "What?" He turned to the healer again. "What is going on?" The man shrugged. "I was trying to discern that just now. She keeps mentioning a battle. Does she mean the Battle of Hogwarts? Why would she be mentioning that?" Harry then appeared with someone else, but Hermione was too distracted to register. "What do you mean?" she asked. "I'm talking about the fight. The fire? Voldemort?" Everyone's face registered real alarm now. "Hermione?" Harry asked carefully, sitting down. "What is the last thing you remember, before waking up?" She frowned. "The fire Crabbe set in the Room of Requirement while we were getting the Horcrux. I remember us flying out. Why?" she demanded, panicking. Everyone was frozen, not saying anything. "What?" she asked. "What's happe-" "Oh, for God's sake, wait for me, Harry," a blond man, demanded, striding into the room. He smiled slightly, though, and came across the room, straight to her, sitting on her bed. "How are you feeling, love? Have you figured out what happened?" he asked the doctor. "Uh, Draco," Ron said. "Hold on a moment."

"Hold on. _Malfoy?_ What are you doing here? What is going on..." her voice trailed off as Malfoy asked her what was wrong. "Harry?" she asked. "What year is it?" He swallowed and looked at her. "It's 2012, Hermione. The Battle of Hogwarts has been over for 14 years."

"WHAT?"

Malfoy looked sick. "You-the last thing you remember is the Battle of Hogwarts?"

"Yes," she snapped. "Why are you here? What has happened? Why can't I remember anything?"

Harry leaned forward. "Hermione, relax. I'll explain. 24 hours ago, you were brought into the ward unconscious, having been hit with some sort of spell. You're an Auror now," he added. "We don't know what, and the doctors have been taking care of you the whole time. It seems-" he swallowed."It seems it was some kind of hostile memory loss spell. But we'll fix it!"he said quickly. "Right?" He looked at the Healers and the rest of the people followed suit. "The man looked bewildered. "I-I hope so," he stammered. "I've never seen a memory loss like this from a spell, but we'll start immediately."

Hermione turned back to her friends, frowning. "You do look older," she noted. "You'll have to catch me up on everything." Malfoy stirred next to her, looking miserable. She frowned again. "And another thing. Why is he here?" Everyone looking worried again instantly. "OK, Hermione? Don't freak out," Ron started hesitantly. 'I'm your husband,"Malfoy blurted out suddenly. She snapped around to look at him.

"WHAT?"

And...that's it-for now. I will post as soon as the next chapter is available. Tell me how bad it was, please. I'm very good with criticism. Also, Ron/Harry? Harry/Ginny? You destroy one canon couple, might as well take them all down, right? Please R&R and I already love you for reading this far.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Here is Chapter 2! I will be updating the first few chapters rather quickly to get going, but it may slack off a little later on, as the story gets more complex. Thank you to all the people that have already R &R!**

 **Disclaimer: I own nothing. It all belongs to J. K. Rowling.**

Chapter 2

Hermione stared at Draco in shock. "That's-that's impossible! Harry, what is going on?" she asked desperately, looking at him. He squirmed. "It's true," he said. "You two have been married for about...5 years now?" She sank back into the pillows, unable to process this information. "We need to get back my memories. Now."

The healer came up to them."Mrs. Malfoy-" she winced. 'We would like to conduct a few tests on you. Hopefully we can figure out what has happened to you and fix it as soon as possible." Draco had risen when she had started to freak spoke now. "Harry, you and I should start looking for the person that did this." He turned to her, looking like he wanted touch her, but didn't. "We'll...go back to where you were and see what has happened." He waited for a minute before turning and leaving. Harry said goodbye and followed. Ron settled into a chair. "I can catch you up, if you like," he offered.

Hermione nodded. "Yes. Why on Earth did I marry _Malfoy?_ " she demanded. "Ron-I'm so confused." The female healer from before came up to them. "Unfortunately, we would like to begin with Mrs. Malfoy now," she said. "You will have to leave the room, Mr. Potter."

"Mr. Potter?" Hermionie gasped. "What-what is-what's happening, Ron?" She felt close to tears by now, and so very confused. She was married to Malfoy, was missing 14 years of her life, and _Mr. Potter?_ Ron looked uncomfortable. "Yeah, me and Harry have...come to realize some things." He turned and fled, leaving her gaping at the door. "Oh my God."

The nurse chuckled. "The Potters are a very lovely couple, Mrs. Malfoy. Are you ready?" Hermione winced. "Yes. But please, just call me Hermione, please, for now. " The Healer nodded. "Of course."

* * *

Draco kicked small rocks as he and Harry walked towards the building Hermione had been found, as they hadn't Apparated straight int it. His friend looked at him sadly. "Draco, don't worry. We'll get her memories back in no time." Draco looked up defensively. "And what if we don't? What if it's permanent and I never get back the woman I love? The Battleof Hogwarts-she hates me right now, Harry. And she's probably still in love with Ron." He resumed kicking rocks.

Harry smirked. "I doubt Ron will be that big of a problem this time around," he said. "Plus, she fell in love with you once. Who's to say she can't again?"

Draco looked a little more a relieved and a bit grateful.

Arriving at the warehouse, they entered, wands drawn and lit. The two men fanned out across the floor, alert now and watching. Both were going on 10 years of being Aurors now and well trained for situations like this. But as they inspected the entire single-story building, they found nothing, no signs that anyone had ever been there, except for maybe rats.

Apparating back to the hospital when they were done, Draco looked extremely frustrated. "If Hermione can't remember anything, how will we figure out who cursed her?" he demanded as Harry also appeared. His friend sighed. 'We will figure it out. The Healers will figure it out, we can fix it." Draco tried to smile. "Yeah, you're right."

* * *

Hermione slumped back down on her bed, groaning. Ron leaned over. "They figure anything out?" She shook her head. "Nothing! They don't know what spell could have been used to take out a chunk like this. _Obliviate_ wouldn't take memory like this, and the Potions Experts have never heard of anything like this, something that would just take a 14 year spell of someone's life. They've tried restoring my memory, and, shockingly, no luck." She took a deep breath and leaned back, frustrated.

Harry and Draco appeared in the doorway and the two residents in the room straightened up. "Did you find anything?" The two men shook their heads. "There was no one at the warehouse," Harry said. Draco was quiet, his gray eyes on Hermione. "Any luck?" he asked softly. "No," she answered.

The male Healer came in behind Draco. "Ah, Mr. Malfoy," he said. "We still haven't figured anything out. I think we'd have to know what spell was cast to even begin fixing , your wife is otherwise perfectly healthy. She's able to go home." Hermione looked up. "Oh, good! Do I have a house? You guys will have to take me there."

Draco looked pained. "'Mione, you live with me. We..we are married. That nightmare _is_ real." His voice was both hurt and sarcastic.

Her eyes widened. "Oh. I don't...I don't think I can do that...just yet." She looked at Ron and Harry. "Can I stay with you guys tonight? You can tell me all about...what happened here." She gestured to the two of them and Harry looked horrified. "You told her?"

"Technically, the nurse did."

Harry ran his fingers through his hair. "Yeah, yeah, you can stay with us, 'Mione. But you and Draco should really talk. There's a lot you don't know." She hopped off the bed. "What's there to talk about? I don't remember him being anything but...evil! He tried to kill Dumbledore!" Draco looked like someone had stabbed him in the heart with a sharpened icicle. "It's been 14 years, Hermione. You _married_ me. We-" Harry stopped him. "Draco, we'll talk to her tonight. Go home. Get some rest. You haven't slept since she got here, I think. Plus, Ginny should be here soon."

"Of course she will be!" A voice broke through the room and red hair appeared. "Ginny!" Hermione's face brightened and she crossed the room, dressed in jeans and the hospital gown. The two hugged and Ginny pulled away after a minute. "So...no memory-like at all?" she asked. Hermione shook her head. Ginny opened her mouth to say something, but a little body ran into the room and squirmed past Ginny, tackling Hermione.

"Mommy!"

Hermione looked up at the room of people who all looked frozen. "Oh, please. Please tell me..." Draco came over and picked up the little girl that was wrapped around Hermione's legs. "'Mione,...this is our daughter. Sam."

 **AN: I have a weird thing for really bad cliffhangers. And I decided to go with Ron/Harry just because that's what shipping is. Putting people together that we see together. Also, I may have altered how spells work, because I know that the _Obliviate_ might work, but bear with me. I'm going somewhere with this. Thanks for reading and please review! **


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Chapter #3! Wow, I really have no life. Because I'm writing mostly late at night, I apologize for any mistakes I might make or have made. I'm unbetaed for now.**

 **J. K. Rowling is our...Queen, I guess. She owns all.**

Chapter 3

Hermione dropped her bag onto the floor of a pretty little flat that Ron and Harry had taken her to. Her head was still spinning from all that happened to her, and she wasn't really sure how to proceed. At the ward, she had discovered she was married to a man she hated, her two best friends were gay and living together, one of whom she still had feelings for, in a way, and _she had a kid with the man she hated._ When she had stumbled out of the hospital room, Ginny had followed her and the two sat talking for a minute. A nurse had brought her the bag she had now. It had been on her when she had come in. Ginny had explained, that yes, Sam was her's and Malfoy's, and they were indeed married. Ron and Harry had come to terms with their feeling six months after the War. Both had broken it off amicably with Ginny and herself immediately. "They're so happy," Ginny said. "Seeing that they were meant for each other, I don't even mind losing the great Harry Potter," she joked. Hermione hadn't said anything, still in shock. The baby, her baby, had Draco's hair, but her eyes. She had a little girl, and a husband, and honestly, her comprehension levels were dangerously low. Harry and Ron had gently taken her away soon after and they had Apparated here.

Ron came up to her and silently showed her to a bedroom with a shower, something she gratefully used. Walking back out into the bedroom, she flopped into the bed and passed out.

* * *

The next morning, she dressed and came out to the living room, where Harry was making breakfast. "It smells good."

He turned towards her. "Hey! How did you sleep?" he asked.

She shrugged. "Okay, I guess." She sat down and he served her a plate of toast and bacon. Eating, she motioned for Harry to sit down. "So...you and Ron?" He blushed. "Like Ginny said, we came to the realization soon after the Battle. I don't know how it happened, but things went well," he assured her. 'We were all friends and everything was pretty...professional when we came out because you and Ginny are awesome!"

Hermione laughed. "Right. I'm not upset. Just thrown." She looked down at her hands. "How-how old is Sam?" Harry looked up at her. "3 and a half. I'm her godfather," he said proudly. "Me and you," Ron said, sleepily entering the kitchen and kissing Harry. He smiled at Hermione. "Morning. How did you sleep?"

"Good." Hermione got up and placed her plate in the sink. "Today I need to work on getting my memories back. Will you take me back to where I was found? I'd like to look around and who knows? I might remember something." Harry nodded. "Just let us get dressed."

* * *

The trio arrived at the warehouse and entered cautiously. As soon as Hermione did, a large floating specter appeared, a figure in a cloak. "Hermione Malfoy," a voice called. The first of your punishments have been given. Expect the next one soon. You will be judged and found impureeee..." the voice and the image faded away, leaving the three adults standing there in shock. Hermione cast a spell to keep a person there, but the figure was gone, and it seemed that no one was there. "The person must have left the message here for when I came in," she said. "I was the trigger."

Ron looked fascinated. "I wonder how he did that." The other two looked at him exasperatedly. "What?"

Harry pulled out a phone and dialed. Hermione watched him, curious at the wizards using phones. She was even more surprised at what she heard next. "Hey, Draco. Yeah, we took Hermione to the warehouse and whoever did this to her, left a message." He relayed what the hologram-figure had said. "Can you think of anyone who would want to and could punish Hermione like this?" She couldn't hear what Draco said, but Harry's face revealed that he didn't know. "Okay, Well, we'll keep you updated. No, I won't be into work today. Yeah. Yeah, she's fine. Just...confused." He looked up at her and she turned away, walking over the floor, looking for clues.

Harry and Ron followed her and they all searched around the area where the face had been projected. Then Hermione saw something. "Hey, guys!" She moved towards a silver box in the corner and pulled it out. "This...this is a projector. A Muggle projector." She turned towards where the face had been and eyed it out. "He must have used this to play the recording." She reached for her wand, but again, found nothing, and then realized she'd never gotten it back. She turned towards the boys. "Where's my wand?"

Harry looked up."Oh, Hermione, I'm so sorry. When they brought you in, you didn't have it on you, and we haven't been able to find it."

She got to her feet. "What? Well...I-I'll have to get a new one, I guess. Um," she turned back to the box. "Can-can you see if it has been charmed before to only play when I came in." Harry nodded and knelt down. Hermione turned towards Ron. "Do you know where I was found?" He shook his head. "Actually, only Malfoy would. He's the one that found you."

* * *

Draco was reading to Sam when his phone rang again and he answered it. "Find anything, Harry?"

"Um, it's me."

He straightened up. "Hermione?"

"Yeah." She hesitated. "Um, so you were the one that found me. I was wondering...where did you find me exactly? We're here now, and I wanted to look around where I was found."

The phone was silent for a moment. "I'm...not really sure. I can Apparate down there in a minute and show you." Hermione panicked. "No, no, that's okay! I'll..." the phone clicked and she sighed. "Oh, no." She turned towards Harry and handed him his phone. "Um, Malfoy ison his way. He...he said he'll show me where he found me."

Both of her friends looked at her worriedly. "Well...maybe this is good," Ron ventured. "You two _do_ have a kid together and are married, all that." She glared at him. "Please, keep in mind that I still feel like I'm 18, and I still hate him!"

"Well, now I feel awkward," a voice said from behind her and Draco walked up beside her. Sam appeared and jumped on Hermione's legs. "Mom! Why didn't you come home last night?" Hermione looked up, worried, but Draco was already pulling her and up into his arms. "Mommy can't come home for awhile," he murmured. He glanced up at Hermione. "She's...dealing with a bad guy right now."

"Oh." Sam nodded wisely. She looked at Hermione. "When will you get the bad guy, Mommy? We miss you and I want you to come home." Harry came up. "Here, give me my god-daughter and you two go to where you were found, Hermione." Draco handed the little girl off to him and motioned to Hermione. "This way."

The two of them moved over to a area far from where the image had played, a little nook in the wall. He motioned to it. "That's where you were," he said."You were unconscious." Hermione nodded and moved closer to get a look around. "Did you see my wand when you found me here?" she asked, not looking at him.

"No. Why,it wasn't in your bag?" She shook her head. "No, and I need to find it. I want to cast some spells around here to figure out some things."

"Here. Use my wand." A hand held out a stick and she turned. "It...would it work?" He shifted uneasily. "Well, since we're married, it's actually rather easy for us to use each other's wands," he said softly. She took the wand. "Oh." She turned back and began casting a spell. "So...Sam." He looked up.

"She's our kid. You love her and she is already a very excellent witch-just like her mother." He smiled."You named her, actually." Hermione smiled. "So...I did name her Samantha?"

"Yes, after your grandmother."

Hermione looked up. "You know about my grandmother?" Draco looked exasperated. "Hermione. We. Are. Married. You have actually told me quite a lot about your life and vice versa." Hermione sat down on the ground. "Draco, I'm sorry. This-this is just so confusing." He sat down across from her. "I know. I'm not upset. Just-I'm worried about you. I miss you."

* * *

Harry looked over at where Draco and Hermione were sitting. "Do you think they can reconcile? I mean, what if 'Mione doesn't get her memory back?" Ron looked over at them too. "Even if Hermione doesn't get her memories back, they'll still end up together. They're meant to be."

Harry smiled and pulled him into a kiss.

* * *

Hermione and Draco both talked for awhile. They discussed Sam, what she was already capable of with magic, Ron and Harry's relationship and how the Wizarding World had changed in the past 14 years. Draco explained how the Battle of Hogwarts had gone down. Hermione was astonished by the end of it. "Harry was a Horcrux? Well," she paused for a moment. "That...makes sense actually," she nodded. Draco laughed. "Of course you immediately figure it out and comprehend it." He looked at her so affectionately. Hermione could see the love in his eyes, the love he had for her, and she didn't know what to do with that. She got to her feet quickly and started looking around again.

Draco followed suit and moved a little ways away, searching as well. "Do you want to do a Summoning spell for your wand?" he asked. She nodded. "Yeah, yeah, good idea." She said, too brightly. Taking Draco's wand, she murmured _Accio Wand._ Harry and Ron's wands flew towards her and she sighed, sending them back. "Sorry!"

She could hear Draco chuckle. "Let me see my wand." She handed it to him and he muttered something. A noise made her turn her head and her wand flew into Draco's hand. She laughed. "oh my God! What was that spell?" He looked abashed. "I, uh, I made it. To find something that was lost. You can focus it on a specific thing to find it anywhere in the world." She stared at him with her mouth open. "Oh my God. Draco, that's amazing." He smiled and started to speak, but before he could the floor started to tremble.

The two of them stumbled, trying to keep their balance, moving closer to each other. "What's going on?" Hermione asked, the noise growing louder as the ground shook more and more. They started moving towards Ron and Harry, but the ground split into a wide crevasse, separating the two groups.

"Ron!"

"Harry!"

"Mommy!"

"Hermione!"

Draco grabbed Hermione's hand. "Watch out!" The ground was splitting open all over the place. "Get out!" He yelled at the others. They ran for the door and Hermione jerked Draco back. "We need to Apparate!" Before he could respond, the ground opened up and the two of them fell into the earth.

* * *

The two hit the ground and sat up slowly, groaning. "Where are we?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know," Draco said. "All I know is I can't Apparate. We're stuck here."

 **AN: And...there we go! Thanks for reading and please review it, tell me what you think. I hope putting in Hermione's grandmother was okay, because I didn't know her grandmother's name. If someone does, please chide me and tell me. 'Til next time!**

 **P.S. I have also put this work on AO3. It's called by the same name., if, you know...you wanna check it out. ;)**


	4. Chapter 4

**_Disclaimer: It all belongs to J. K. Rowling._**

 _Previously on_ "I Don't Know You Anymore":

 _Draco grabbed Hermione's hand. "Watch out!" The ground was splitting open all over the place. "Get out!" He yelled at the others as the ground opened up and the two of them fell into the earth._

* * *

 _The two hit the ground and sat up slowly, groaning. "Where are we?" Hermione asked._

 _"I don't know," Draco said. "All I know is I can't Apparate. We're stuck here."_

* * *

Chapter 4

Hermione got to her feet, carefully inspecting her surroundings. The two of them had fallen into a rocky area, with storm clouds overhead and water nearby. She could hear it running. Draco came and stood up next to her. "Do you still have your wand?" She held it up wordlessly and then tried to Apparate. "Why can't we Apparate? Is it something like what they have at Hogwarts?"

Draco shrugged. "Most likely. But no time to figure it out. The...projection that you saw earlier, it said that you would be punished. This may be another one of the punishments, so we should get out of here."

"Yeah." Hermione turned around, looking for something familiar. "Where do you think we are?" Draco looked around as well. 'I've never seen this place before, but based of the rain clouds, we're still in England. He smiled. Hermione half laughed,looking at him. "Draco Malfoy, joking! What else is new?"

His mouth twitched. "Well, you got married. You're an Auror now." The two of them started walking and Draco talked about her life now, in a way that showed Hermione that if she hadn't believed they were married before, she did now.

* * *

Harry and Ron walked through the rubble, searching for the way that Draco and Hermione had disappeared. A half a dozen Aurors searched with them. "Where did they go?" Harry asked the Head Auror, after he had finished his inspection. The man shrugged. "I don't see how ow where they fell through. I've looked in all the cracked areas and-"

"Sir!" A younger Auror ran over. "I found something. As I spelled the rubble, I noticed something. A rock was made into a Portkey and placed there, so when Draco and Hermione fell through they fell onto it."

Harry and Ron went over to look at the rock that he pointed out. "Could you get the Portkey to open up to the last place it was enchanted to go?" The Auror frowned. "I'll talk to a expert and see if it's possible, Mr. Potter."

Harry smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Hermione stopped as the two of them came up on another pile of rocks and groaned. "Malfoy, we're going in circles."

He looked around. "Are you serious?" She pointed to the ground. "The ground is soft. That's where we landed." She burned an X into the ground. "We need to figure out what to do and how to get out of here. This place is just taking us in circles. It must be magic."

Draco groaned. "Yeah, you're right. How though? We've tried the Four-Point-Spell and it looked like we were going the right way."

Hermione turned to him. "Do you have any spells like the one before? Anything that could help?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Yes, Hermione. I've had something that could help all along, and just didn't want to say anything because I enjoy being imprisioned in a magical place that won't let me out with the woman that I love but can't remember me and still despises me." He took a deep breath and looked at her expectantly.

Hermione looked at him, her face blank.

"You're such a drama queen."

He gasped. "Am not."

She smiled. "I don't despise you, Draco. In our last year, I know you didn't really have a choice, and from what I've been told, you have truly changed. I know that we are married, and while I don't know where to go from there, with me only having bad memories of you, I do know that I wouldn't have maried you unless one, you really were good, and two, I really loved you."

He stared at her for a long minute. Then he took a breath, focusing again. "I will show you I have changed, with my actions, on my own. And I will get your memories back."

She smiled. "Alright. Now, any ideas, drama queen?

* * *

Two hours later, the brightest witch of this age and the arguably brilliant Draco Malfoy, creator and master of spells, were stumped. Hermione flopped onto the ground. "This is pointless. Let's just wait, Harry and Ron are bound to find us."

Draco jumped to his feet. "Or, whatever "punishment" that psycho who took your memories is planning is coming for us. We don't where we are or why. It's getting dark. We should make a fire, put up wards, create some semblence of a camp for the night."

Hermione nodded. "OK."

They began to do as Draco had suggested. Hermione had just cast a spell to warn if there were intruders when the two of them heard a bellow. Hermione raced back to the fire. "What was that?!" she demanded as the ground began to shake. Draco pulled out his wand. "Something that's big-and coming this way."

Hermione cast shields around them and Draco took his cue and did the same, renforcing them. As they stood back to back next to the fire, they could feel the vibrations getting larger and larger, and the creature, whatever it was, bellowed again.

The trees began to shake and from the darkness a Troll appeared. Hermione shrunk back, remembering her first encounter with one of these creatures, trapped in Hogwart's bathroom. Draco didn't move though and cast an _Impedimenta Jinx_ at it, followed with a _Stupefy._ Hermione mustered up her courage and stood, facing the creature as well. The two continued using all the spells they could think of to stop the Troll. Slowly it staggered backwards and eventually, as both Hermione and Draco cast a simultanous _Stupefy,_ the mountanious creaturetoppled backwards, unconsious.

Hermione took a deep breath, and stepped forward, Draco immediately following. She place a Body-Binding Curse on the Troll, and then encased it in chains. Draco levitated the creature and secured the chains to two large trees. "So..." he began. "Do you want to find a different camping area?" She laughed, a little breathless. "Yeah, that would be nice."

The two turned and started walking. Hermione put out the fire and whispered _Lumos_ as Draco removed their wards and then also lit his wand. As they silently moved away from the area, she laughed a little. "Wow. I...think I can truly believe that we are allies-and partners," she said. Draco turned. "Congratulations. What triggered that?" She smiled."We were in perfect sync back there. We didn't even need to talk. It was like...basic motor functions, I just knew what to do, and what you were going to do."

Draco's mouth turned up. "We were Auror partners for 7 years," he said. "And we've been married for 5. We're like..two beans in a pod." He smiled, proud for remembering the Muggle phrase. Hermione laughed out loud and he frowned. "What?"

"It's two peas in a pod."

"Huh?"

"Not "Two beans in a pod". Two peas in a pod." Draco looked sheepish. "Yeah, that." Hermione grinned. "C'mon. Let's find a place to sleep for the night. Tomorrow we're getting out of here."

* * *

Hermione woke up with a rock in her back and another jabbing her leg. She sat up slowly and groaned. Light was slowly coming in around them in the little area they found, not quite a meadow, where they'd stopped and slept under the shelter of trees and magical wards. Draco lay a few feet away, still fast asleep. She stared at him for a minute. These past few days had definately been the most confusing of her life, but she'd dealt with worse. She knew they would be able to fix this and then she would remember Draco and they could have their life ba-

She stopped.

Wow.

She had no memories of Draco being anything but cruel, racist and prejudiced against her, and she was already expecting to one day be living with him again, as his wife. She got to her feet slowly. Maybe this was a second chance. Maybe this was someone's way of telling that being married to Draco wasn't a good thing. She didn't know how much he had really changed or if he even had.

She decided that when she got her memories back, she wouldn't go straight back to/with Dra- _Malfoy._ She would give herself some time to think, and use this period of not knowing who he was now to see if she really even cared for him.

* * *

Draco woke up smelling smoke. He lurched up suddenly, wand at the ready, only to see Hermione crouched over a small flame. He smiled and relaxed. "Hey, love."

She stiffened and turned, and he realized his mistake. "Sorry. Um, morning."

She turned back to the fire. "Good morning." Her voice was as stiff as her back, and cold. He frowned and came forward, puzzled, but didn't mention it. "No breakfast, huh?" She looked at him. "Where would we get food from, Malfoy?"

He recoiled at the tone of her voice. "I...I was just commenting. Making conversation. Are you okay?" She appeared to be about to say something, and then changed her mind. "Fine. Just not a morning person." He scoffed. "What are you talking about? Yes you are. You love mornings, and watching the sun rise. It reminds you of your mom." His voice trailed off as she looked up at him again, furious this time. "Stop it Malfoy! Stop showing me how well you know me, and how we've been together for so long. I get it, we are married, but I don't love you and I wish you would stop trying to force your image of what we used to be onto me!" She stopped, slightly out of breath, and got up, storming away. Draco sat in shock, stunned into silence.

The two of them eventually met up again, Hermione came back to the camp, and they set off without a word. Hermione felt a little bad for what she'd said earlier, but resolved not to apologize. Her decision to not go back once she got her memories back was stronger than ever now. She did glance a t Draco once, as they walked. His face was blank and he stared straight ahead. She turned and copied him and the silent pair walked on.

* * *

Meanwhile, Harry stood in a small ofice, waiting as people moved about, trying to figure out how to re-open a Portkey. Ginny was with him, having come downto see how thye were doing. He and Ginny had always remained friends. They loved each other too much to ever let things be awkward. "Do you think it'll work?" Ginny asked quietly.

"It has to. They could be anywhere, they could be in danger." Harry sighed. "I hope that, wherever they are, they're getting along. They're best when they work together."

Ginny smiled. "Yeah, they are."

One of the wizards, an older, frazzled looking man came up to them. "Mr. Potter, sir, we think we might have done it. We've re-opened the Portkey."

Harry and Ginny followed the man towards where the rock lay. The portal was already open and humming. Ron came running up. "Did we get it?" The wizard nodded. "I know it'll take you somewhere, but it will at least take you to where they were taken, so you'll have to find them on your own. Plus, we still don't know if it's a perfect replica of the original Portkey." He took a breath, looking like he wanted to say more, but Harry, Ron and Ginny were already joining hands, along with two other Aurors, and touching the Portkey.

They stumbled out onto a rocky area, cloudy and deserted. The five magicians got to their feet and Harry motioned for them to spread out and look for signs that anyone had been there. After a few minutes, Ginny called out for the others and they all rushed over. They all read the message on the rock. "That's them," Ginny said. "Hermione used her maiden name initial." Ron chuckled. "Yeah. So they're going South?" He looked at Harry."We're gonna track them, right?"

Harry was frowning. "I can't Apparate." The others all tried, with no success, and looks of worry quickly spread. "Well, that's why they didn't come right back," one of the Aurors said. Harry nodded. "We need to find them. I have a bad feeling about this."

* * *

Hermione broke the silence nearly five hours later. "We...should look for water." She was dehydrated and exhausted and a little weak from no food. Draco glanced at her briefly, then did a double take, looking more worried. "Yeah, there's been little bodies of water all up along this path." The next one he spotted, he turned and Hermione followed. They both sank down, exhausted, and Hermione cast a _Scourgify_ on the water, then bent and drank, scooping water to her mouth. Draco followed suit. They sat for awhile, resting and catching their breath. Draco looked at her. "Hermione...I'm sorry.I shouldn't have overwhelmed you like that, and you're right, I did push the...concept of us onto you. It was wrong of me." She glanced up and met his grave stare. Uncomfortably, she shifted. "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have lashed out like that.I had been thinking about this whole situation and I decided...when we get back memories or no, I'm going to be on my own for awhile. I think this memory loss might have been a sign for me to... to do something else with my life."

Draco's face went cold and blank. "Do something else, as in not be my wife?" She nodded cautiously. He stared at her for a full minute. "Oh," he finally said. "Why?" She was taken aback. That was not a response she had expected and she grappled to find the words to explain. "Because...I want to see who I am, with the memory loss as something to use to explore and compare with what my life has been doing. I-I wanna see if...I made the right choice." She said the last part quietly, and waited. Draco said nothing. She dared to to look up andshe saw him sitting there, his face blank, and yet he looked as though someone had stabbed him. She felt regret and pain for making him hurt, more then she had expected to.

He turned and began walking. "Alright. When we get out of here, I'll leave you alone. You won't have to see me or Sam, or concern yourself with us being married." His voice was calm and professional. "And when you get your memories back, do whatever you want." He resumed walking. "Until then, you're stuck with me. Shall we?"

 **AN: Well, it's been awhile! Sorry, I had no wifi, but I'm back now. Please let me know what you think. I know the ending is crappy.**


	5. Chapter 5

**AN: Hello! I apologize for how long this took! I'm so ashamed! I have excellent excuses, but you guys deserve better than that. I got distracted by a new TV show, and then lost power for awhile. Oops. Well, here it is. Enjoy, review, follow, favorite, hate, I don't care, just give an opinion on the story, pretty please. Thank you!**

 **Disclaimer: All J.K. Rowling's.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Day Three: Walking in silence. The hunger gnawing at her stomach, always slightly dehydrated, Draco ignoring her and the road went on and on. This was Hell.

Day Five: Food. Root vegetables and rabbits. Something that keeps them walking in silence, miserable and cold and lost.

Day Seven: Hermione stopped walking.

* * *

"We can't do this anymore, Draco. I'm too tired and hungry and cold to be able to keep walking." Draco sank down beside her. "So, what do you suggest we do, Hermione? We don't know how to get out of here, we have no food supply and we don't even know if anyone is trying to get us out."

She sighed. "We should find a place near some water and wait. Maybe shoot up...flares or something. Messages maybe, in case people are looking for us and just haven't found us yet."

"Alright." Draco stood up again. "Um, there was an open area back there by the water where we can settle down. You can cast some flares, and we can set up camp." He extended a hand and she took it, standing up. "Then let's go." She was strangely glad to be talking to him again. But she didn't know what _to_ say. "So...do you have any spells that could be something like a message, or a broadcast?" He frowned. "No. I've never thought of such a spell, or had a need for one."

Hermione shrugged. "Well, I'll think of something. Here's the area for the camp." The two of them turned and Draco immediately turned and began casting wards. Hermione stood there for a minute, trying to figure if she should say something. But what could she say. She murmured a spell and a red flare shot up into the air.

* * *

Harry sat up and groaned. Despite ground-softening spells, it still was uncomfortable sleeping on the ground. They hadn't expected to be out here so long, but they had still found no sign of Hermione and Draco after the message in the rock. "Hey, guys, wake up," he urged. The others stirred and groaned. Ron sat up slowly. "Have you seen anything?" he asked, rising and coming over to kiss Harry. The other man shook his head and turned to Ginny. "Up and at 'em, redhead," he called, making her growl. He laughed and turned, then gasped. A red steak was lingering in the air. "Guys!"

The four others came to stand up next to him. "What is that?" Ginny said.

"That's the spell we used for the Triwizard Tournament," Harry said. "Hermione must have cast it. Let's go!" Re-motivated, the five of them instantly set out. Where the flare had shot up wasn't so far away, but it still took them a few hours to reach the area. "There!" Ron pointed through the trees, towards a spiral of smoke in the distance. They hurried forward into an open clearing, but it was empty.

"Where are they?" Ginny demanded. Harry moved out looking for any signs that the two had been there.

"Look." He pointed at the ground. "Here, it looks like people were here-several. Two people were dragged." He looked up at the others. "That must be them. But what happened to them?"

The others Aurors looked concerned. The five of them fanned out and began to search the area, growing more and more worried by the second.

* * *

 _2 Hours Ago_

Hermione walked towards the fire that Draco was building. "The wards are up, so we'll know when someone is in the vicinity, but they won't be able to get in." He glanced up. "Good."

She sighed. "Draco...I'm sorry. For what I said and for not giving you a chance. I can't remember the last 12 years of my life, and I just freaked out about being married and having a kid, and all of this." She paused as Draco rose and faced her. "I know that I've said this before, but I-"

Before her sentence could be finished, the spells protecting the border were triggered, sounding the alarm. The two whirled around, wands drawn, but they saw nothing. Hermione looked at Draco apprehensively and they walked towards where the opening met the road. "Harry? Ginny?" Hermione called. "Ron?" She heard a rustling behind her and turned, but then something hit her and she fell.

Slowly she felt the world coming back to her, sounds filtering in before sight. A man's voice, loud and rough, was booming over her and she was aware of a warmth both behind and partially on top of her. Then she felt the Body-Bind of her as she tried to move. Her eyes still opened though, and slowly two figures standing over her came into view-and then their words.

..."I didn't agree to commit suicide! Do you know who these people are, Max? The frickin' Malfoys, HERMIONE Malfoy. Us kidnapping them is gonna ruin our lives! I don't care how much money is in it!"

The presence behind her stirred and she realized it was Malfoy. Despite the paralysis on them, she could fell him stiffen as he realized what had happened. "Don't move," he whispered as best he could. It was too much though, and the two men turned and came towards them. A hand dragged her, and she felt ropes bind her before the Body-Bind Spell was lifted. The other man did the same to Malfoy and she turned to face him, her eyes confused. He shrugged. The two men knelt in front of them, wands drawn.

"Neither of you try anything, and you won't get hurt." The man that had been called Max told them.

Hermione pressed against the ropes. "Who are you guys and who hired you to kidnap us?"

The man looked taken aback, then he smiled. "Of course, Mrs. Hermione Malfoy has it all figured out. But you'll figure out who you're gonna be seeing soon. Even with the memory loss." He smirked at her and then hauled her up, and the other man pulled Draco up. The other man had been quiet so far, but he started to say something. Max shut him up with a glare, and the four of them marched off.

As the two of them were pulled along, Hermione looked at Draco, trying to figure out if he knew the men. He shook his head and she tugged against the restraints in a protest. Max jerked her roughly and she gave up, allowing herself to be pulled along. At least now they would find out what was going on-and who was behind all this.

* * *

Harry cast a Searching Spell, something Draco had perfected, something that would allow you to track a certain person if their trail was 2 hours old or less. The trail spiraled out before them, a pretty lilac and the five Auros set off, worry etched into their faces.

"Who do you think took them?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged. "Probably whomever took them here with the Portkey and erased Hermione's memories. Hopefully, we can find out who is behind all this, and end it." One of the other Aurors, Philip Pond, came up next to them. "Who would have been able to do all this?" he asked. "And why would they want to?"

Ginny turned around from where she was walking ahead of them. "Hermione has a lot of enemies as an Auror and plus, anyone who still blames us for You-Know-Who's downfall could have done this. In fact, the second one is far more likely."

The five wizards continued to walk, following the trail as quickly as they could, hoping that their friends would be alright when they caught up to them.

* * *

 _Now_

Hermione was thrown onto a hard floor and before she could get up, she heard the door slamming behind her. Turning around and slowly rising, she realized she was in a cell, complete with bars and all.

"Draco? Draco!" she called, hoping he was near. But she heard nothing. She pressed her face against the bars, trying in vain to see something. No one was there and no one came. She waited for a very long time, what felt like hours, pacing back and forth, trying to see out of the small, high-up window, trying to use wandless magic, all to no avail. Eventually she sat down and waited. After nearly three hours, she heard someone coming and then her cell door was opened. She scrambled to her feet, and was immediately grabbed and pulled along.

"Where am I? Where's Draco?" she demanded, but the figure pulling her along said nothing, just grunted. They came into a small hallway, and she saw another figure bringing Malfoy out of a cell. "Mal-Draco!" she called and he turned to look at her before his goon hauled him away. They followed the other duo and came before two large doors, reminiscent of Hogwart's Great Hall. The doors swung open and they were pulled through them. It was narrower that Hogwart's hall, colder and darker. There was a long table at the front of the room, horizontal to them. A figure sat in the middle of the table, facing them. Waiting. It was a man, she decided, as they grew closer, and he was cloaked so she couldn't see his face. "Welcome," he intoned, and she recognized his voice from the hologram. Draco pushed his way to the front of the group, free from the goon. "What the hell do you want with my wife? And who are you?"

The man smiled. "Love your priorities, Mr. Malfoy. But relax. I'm not going to hurt your wife. Not if she cooperates."

"Cooperates with what?" Hermione demanded. "Who do you think you are, taking my memories, kidnapping me? I could be cliche and say you'll never get away with this, but I don't need to. People are coming to find me, and you don't stand a chance against us."

The man laughed. "You won't do anything to me," he said. "Because if you do, you never get your memories back."

* * *

Hermione and Draco stared at the man. _"What?"_ they both demanded. The man rose and came towards them. "I am the only one that can restore your memories. If anything happens to me, if I'm hurt or taken prisoner, I won't give them back. If I'm killed, well that pretty much goes without explanation." He came and stood before them. "Okie-dokie?"

Hermione frowned. "You're American."

"Born and raised."

"How do you know about us then? About magic?"

The man scoffed. "You certainly have a big head. You know other countries have magic."

"Yes, I know," Hermione said. "I mean, why are you doing this? You and I don't have anything to do with each other." The man sighed and tuned away. "That's where you're wrong, I'm afraid. I know all about you and you have affected my life in many ways. You see-"

He was cut off by the doors exploding open and five figures coming in. "Hermione!" Ron, Ginny and Harry stood there with two other wizards, wands drawn. The man looked at her. "I'd stop your friends if I were you." Hermione turned to call to them, but Draco was already there, stopping them. The five of them approached, wands still ready, but now confused. "What's going on?" Harry asked. He was watching the man."Is this the guy that took your memories?" Hermione nodded. "He says that if anything happens to him, I'll never get my memories back." The others stopped, and Harry stepped forward. "Who are you and why are you cowering under a hood?"

The man laughed again. "Not all of us are as courageous as the Boy-Who-Lived, Mr. Potter."

"What does that mean?" Harry asked. Hermione turned to him. "He's American, but knows who we are. I still don't know what he wants," she added, turning back to the hooded man.

"Well, it's quite simple, Hermione. 12 years ago, soon after the Battle of Hogwarts, the English Ministry of Magic reached out to other countries for help. America was one of the countries to respond and I was one of the wizards that came over to help restore things. While I was here, I met you. I was 22 at the time, and you were 18 and in love with that red-haired idiot that married another guy! You wouldn't give me the time of day and I found that rather offensive." He calmed down slightly and took a breath. "You don't remember any of this, but I see the others do."

Hermione turned to see Draco looking angry and Ron confused. Harry stepped forward. "I do remember you. You were that American creep." He turned to Hermione. "He was always hanging around you, never asked you out, was just a disgusting prick." He pulled Hermione back behind him. "Give back her memories or I won't have to hurt you. I"ll just report you to our's and your Ministries of Magic and let them sort you out."

The man stood there or a minute before chuckling. "Go ahead. I don't work for them anymore. I'm completely off their radar, even."

Hermione walked back up to him, furious. "So let me get this straight. You're doing this because, what, you fancied me 12 years ago? Because you can't live without me?" He began to laugh again, long and terrifying now. "No, Hermione, you see, I'm not obsessed with getting you anymore. I'm going to destroy your life for what you did to me. You don't remember what that was, but I do. It's all I've thought about for 12 long years, while I recovered and healed and plotted."

"Healed? What are you talking about?" Hermione asked. The man sighed. "You destroyed my life, Hermione, that's why I'm doing all this. I'm going to take away everything you love, and I'm going to make you wish you'd never been born. Why? Because you did this to me." He stepped back and slowly lifted away the hood. What was underneath barely looked human and the seven others in the room gasped and took a step back. It was more than burns. It was complete disfiguration across his face and stretching further down his neck. "They cover my whole body, you know," he said. "You did this to me, Hermione. And now, for the next step in my revenge, I will do the same to someone you love."


	6. Chapter 6

**AN:Boom! Cliffhanger! Well, here is Chapter 6. Um, warning mentions of attempted rape in this chapter, no details, just thought I'd give a heads up. Enjoy though! Review and all that.**

 **Disclaimer: Do I have to? Fine,...it's not mine. All J. K. Rowling.**

* * *

Draco stepped in front of Hermione. "You're not hurting any of us," he declared. The others had their wands ready, but Hermione wasn't paying attention. "How did I do this to you? Why?" The scarred figure shook his head. "You did this to me after you rejected me. It wasn't enough that you rejected me, you had to go and ruin my life!"

Draco suddenly sucked in a breath. Then he grabbed Harry's wand and pointed it at the man. "You!"

"Draco!" three voices shouted. Said wizard looked furious. "I remember him, 'Mione. I was the one that found you after he attacked you." Hermione turned around. "He attacked me? What happened?" She whirled back around. "You said I rejected you. What really happened?" The man didn't even look ashamed. "I tried to show you how I felt and you attacked me!"

Draco scoffed, walking forward with wand outstretched. "He tried to rape you, Hermione, and you blasted him with several things after you got to your wand. I got there after he had run off, on fire, and you were sitting there, shaking and half naked." Hermione and the others looked horrified. " 'Tried to show how you felt?' You tried to _rape_ me?!" The man shook his head. "No, Hermione, you-" he was cut off by Draco flinging him across the room with magic. The two goons came up to restrain him, but he Stupefyed them and the Aurors turned to help. Hermione stood there, in shock, but quickly recovered and called for Harry. He rushed forward, grabbing his wand from Draco, then looking at her questioningly. She pointed to the burned, unconscious man. "We should secure him, right?" Harry nodded, patting her shoulder, and went to Body-Bind him. As she watched, Draco came up and handed her her wand. "I summoned it, he said. She nodded. "Your spell." She looked back at the man. "How will I get my memories back now?" He looked at her, and then back to Harry and the others. "We will get them back, Hermione. I promise."

* * *

When all the men were secured, the seven gathered together and looked around. "He only had two guys helping him?" Ginny asked. Hermione gasped and she and Draco looked at each other. "No, there were two other guys that brought us here. Max and somebody," Hermione said. Harry frowned. "Before we came in, we scoped the place out. This was the only area where people were," he said, puzzled.

"Well, weren't they just hired to find us?" Draco asked. He looked at Hermione. "You heard what they said."

The others were confused. "What happened?" they asked. Draco and Hermione explained what had happened since they'd fallen through the Portkey, leaving out the parts about Hermione's decision through some unspoken agreement. By the end, they were walking out of the castle-type place, with the three bodies floating unconscious in their midst.

"Wow," Ginny said. "You guys have had a trying time. I'm sorry we didn't get here sooner." Hermione smiled. "You got here, though. And right on time. So, do you have a way out of here?" The others looked at each other, avoiding her eye. "What?" she demanded.

"Well, you see, we thought you guys were imprisoned, which was why you didn't Apparate back," Harry said sheepishly. "We didn't know you couldn't Apparate at all."

Hermione stared at him. "So, you're saying that you came in here without a plan or an escape route, and have no way to get us out?"

One of the Aurors that had come with spoke up. "We don't know how he did this," he said. "It should be impossible for an area this large to be blocked for Apparation." Hermione looked at the floating man. "Well, we'll just have to find out when he wakes up."

* * *

The group made camp. The others had brought food, real food, and Hermione and Draco enjoyed a full meal for the first time in days. Draco asked about Sam and Ginny said she was fine, staying with Mrs. Weasley. Draco seemed relieved by this, and Hermione saw that he really had come a long way if he was relieved to hear that Molly Weasley was taking care of his daughter.

After they had eaten, Hermione and Ginny lay down on the ground next to each other and talked for awhile, meaningless things, until Hermione gathered up the courage to ask about her and Draco.

"Can you tell me more about how Draco and I got together?" Ginny smiled. "Yeah. Fortunately, you pretty much told me all the things that happened as they did. Well, the PG-13 version at least," she teased, making Hermione smack her. They laughed and Ginny rolled to face her. "Well, it started after you guys finished your last year at Hogwarts and went into Auror training. Draco had been cleared of all charges since he was basically forced to do everything he did. He graduated too, and also went into the Auror program. Um, you and Ron had been dating, but during Christmas at Hogwarts, way too much Firewhiskey prompted them to get hot and heavy in a broom closet. _Filch_ found them." She paused as they both winced. "You were a little upset, me too, but what could any of us do? So, anyway, you, Ron, Harry and Draco all went into the Auror program and once you all graduated from that, surprise, surprise, it's a bad rom-com. You and Draco were partnered."

Hermione laughed disbelievingly. "Of course we did." Ginny shushed her. "You came to my house and you were ranting and furious about it. It took him saving your life to get you to trust him. It might also be him finding and helping you after that creep that attacked you." She stopped and frowned. "He saved you from a troll when it jumped you and you lost your wand. He got there in the nick of time and hit it with about seven different spells. Anyway..." Ginny's voice trailed off as she noticed Hermione staring at Draco. She watched her watch him for a minute before gently saying, "Hermione?" Said witch snapped out of it and looked back at her. "He did that for me?" Ginny half smiled. "Yeah. He loves you, 'Mi." Hermione silently sat there for a minute, lost. She glanced up at Ginny. "I told Draco I wanted time apart after this, even when or if I get my memories back." Ginny pulled back.

"What?" I-what? I mean, I understand if you still had memory loss, but even after?"

Hermione fidgeted. "I just...need to figure out why I married him, Ginny," she said quietly. "I still feel like I'm 18."

"Yes, but that will change when you get your memories back."

"But what if I never do? The psycho over there isn't going to give them back. No one knows how to reverse what he did to me."

Ginny looked fierce. "Then we make him give them back." Hermione looked at her, confused, but before she could respond. Ginny was striding over to the prisoners and casting a Reviving Spell. Hermione jumped to her feet, and came over. The others noticed what was happening and came over as well. Ginny pulled the burned man into the middle of the circle of people, and pushed the groggy man to the ground. Harry came forward. "Ginny, slow down. What are you doing?" She looked up at him, wand still pointed. "This guy can get us out of here. He can restore Hermione's memories. But he's nuts. He's not just gonna tell us. He wants to play around and be an arse."

Draco walked around to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Gin, believe me, I want Hermione's memories back more than anyone, and I want to see him punished. But let's not do anything crazy. We'll get it out of him tomorrow, I promise."

Ginny backed down. "Yeah, you're right." They watched the man roll over, opening his eyes. He glared up at all of them. "You guys will never get anything out of me. I'll never help-" He was hit by a blast and fell back. Everyone looked at Draco and he widened his eyes. "What? I'm not _that_ good. We'll question him in the morning." He grinned at Hermione and she found herself smiling back

* * *

The next morning, Hermione was the first one to wake up, or so she thought. Draco was a little ways away from the camp, skipping rocks across the stream of water. She quietly approached him, and watched for a minute. "You're good at that." He turned, startled, but then relaxed. "Yeah, well, I didn't really have a lot to do at Malfoy Manor as a kid, so I would explore. I found a lake out on the grounds and spent most of my summers there and um, skipped rocks." He gave a little laugh, looking shy. Hermione smiled, but felt a little bit of sympathy for the little boy that probably had been all alone most of his early years. "So that's how you spent your summers. I always thought you spent them plotting or something nefarious like that." It was his turn to laugh. "Who says I didn't? Skipping rocks gets boring eventually and I didn't exactly have a lot of people to talk to." They both sobered at that, and he looked down at the ground. Hermione tried to think of something to say, but before she could, Harry's voice calling them distracted her, and they both moved back to camp.

* * *

Harry and the others were standing over the now-conscious kidnappers. Hermione pulled Draco back before they reached the others. "What's his name?" she nodded at the burned man. He frowned. "Frank?"

She laughed incredulously. _" 'Frank' ?"_ Draco put an an arm around her. "Are you going to be okay?"

She sighed. "All of this-it's a lot to take in. But yes, I can do this." He gave her a small smile. "I know this is hard. But I- _we're_ all here for you. We'll figure this out." She tried to smile, to reassure him, but it wasn't easy.

When she and Draco joined the others, Frank was already going off about how he would never help them and how she was doomed to never get her memories back. She rolled her eyes. Harry bent down and stared the blustering man down. "You're not going to have a choice. You _will_ tell us how to get out of here and you _will_ give Hermione's memories back." The other man laughed at him. "And...what will you do if I don't?" Harry smiled, a smile without any mirth in it. "I'll let Ginny have at you." Frank hesitated for a minute. Then he scoffed disbelievingly. "You wouldn't do that. The great Harry Potter is far too noble for anything of the sort." Harry raised a brow. "Care to test that theory? You have us trapped here, no way out, you really think that even I won't do what is necessary?" Frank sat up, carefully watching Harry and Ginny. "I won't tell you. I've already endured horrible pain at wizard's hands. Do your worst." He took a dramatic breath and continued. "No one can Apparate out of here. I made sure it was impossible. There's only one way in and out." He smiled smugly and crossed his arms. Harry sighed. "Oh, well. Ginny, all yours." He steeped back and the man looked panicked, but before anything happened, Draco suddenly sprung forward. "Wait!"Ginny turned. ""What now, Draco?" He was smiling. " "Only one way in and out." " He looked at Frank triumphantly. "We have to go out the same way we got in."

* * *

Following Draco's statement, Hermione groaned. "I'm so stupid. A Portkey, of course. Ugh!" The blond man smiled at her. "None of us thought of it, 'Mione. But now, we can get out of here." He glanced at the man and then at the others. "Shall we go home?" As they gathered up their things, and Harry and Hermione got to work on a Portkey, Frank began to yell that even if they got out, Hermione still wasn't getting her memories back, and other nonsense, until Draco cast a Silencing Charm on him, and tied up the three prisoners, levitating them for transporting them back. The group gathered around the hat that was spelled and all placed a hand on it. In a minute,they felt the pull, and then they were tumbling back into the area from which Harry, Ron and Ginny had traveled from in the first place.

Draco was the first to stand up. "We're back."


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: Thank you to all the readers and people who have left reviews so far! It's really encouraging. Fair warning, my posting is going to slow down even further now, unfortunately. Volleyball tryouts at my school have started, and I have three hour practices, plus working and preparing for school. I will try to update at least once a week, though. Thanks for reading!**

* * *

Chapter 7

Hermione groaned and slumped into a chair. "They've been in there for an hour. What are they doing?" The wizards had turned Frank over to several Aurors that specialized in "extracting information" from people. They had said they didn't intend to torture him, but she didn't know what they were actually doing then. All she knew was she was tired, hungry, dirty and had amnesia. All things she wanted remedied quickly. However, they'd been told to wait for debriefing. So, now she was sitting between the husband she didn't remember and the ex who was gay. Fun.

Finally the door opened and out came one of the specialists. Everyone stood up expectantly. The man shrugged tiredly. "Nothing. He's very well versed in all of our interrogation techniques. But we'll keep trying. If you want, we can take your statements now, and then you can go home and get some rest." The group nodded ans slowly went into a small room one by one to explain what had happened and what they knew about Frank.

As the tired magicians walked up to the Floo portals out of the Ministry, Hermione heard a young voice calling "Mama!" and looked up just in time to get tackled by a little blond girl. Draco laughed, coming up and swinging Sam into his arms. "Hey, there kiddo! What are you doing here? Do you work here?" She giggled. "No! Grampa Weasley brought me to see Mummy and you." Hermione and Draco both looked up at the red-headed man coming their way. He was, of course, older than hermione remembered, but Arthur Weasley nonetheless. She laughed too, and moved forward to hug him. "Mr. Weasley! How good to see you!" He chuckled. "You too. Is it true, you can't remember anything from the last 12 years?"

She nodded. "Yes. Fortunately, we've caught the man responsible and I will get my memories back," she said resolutely. He smiled. "That's the spirit." He turned to Draco, who, much to Hermione's surprise, also hugged him. "Arthur, thank you for taking care of Sam, and please thank Molly too."

"I will."

Draco then turned to her, holding Sam. He looked hesitant. "Do...do you want to talk to Sam?" He held out the little girl, who stretched out her arms with a grin. Hermione stood indecisively for a minute, before taking her daughter into her arms. Harry and Ron came up to them as Sam began to chatter away, telling Hermione all about her day and what she'd done and seen and eaten. The group moved towards the Floo portals, and only then did Hermione realize she didn't know where she was going. She said as much out loud, and Sam piped up. "What do you mean, Mummy? Why aren't you coming home with Dad and me? I wand to help you get your memories back." She paused, unsure what to say, and Draco intervened. "Mummy might need to stay with Uncle Harry tonight, honey," he said. "Come on. You and I will go home an we'll see Mommy later." He held out his arms for the child, but Hermione found herself not wanting to hand her over. "Actually..." she said. "Maybe...I could come home with you guys? Just...see if anything, I dunno, is triggered or something?" She watched Draco apprehensively. He looked confused and hesitant, but slowly nodded. "Um, sure. If you're sure." She looked down at the little girl. She knew what she had earlier decided, but holding her daughter in her arms had done something to her. Even if she never got her memories back, or stayed with Draco, this was still her child. And she wanted to be able to be a mother.

* * *

The trio came through the Floo Portal as one, Hermione holding Sam and Draco holding her arm. They were on the threshold of a house, old and tall, but elegant and not the dark creepiness she had automatically assumed would be associated with Draco. Said man stepped forward, opening the door with a regular key. She was taken aback. "No wards?"

He smiled back at her as they walked in. "Oh, there are. But they can detect who it is entering and act accordingly to whether it's hostile or friendly. Only you and I know how to adjust the wards to recognize someone as friendly." He paused. "Well, just me, I guess." She stood in the entryway for a minute, silent. "Wow. That's very clever." They moved forward into the kitchen, and Sam jumped down and began to pull Hermione's hand. "Come on, Mummy, I'll show you my room!"

Hermione allowed herself to be pulled up the stairs into the first door on the left. It was definitely a little girl's room, and a witch's. A bed with multi-colored sheets, a small broom and toys and clothes scattered everywhere. Draco came up behind them. "Yeah, her room's usually cleaner, but, well, neither of us have been there to make her clean it up." He mock-glared at the little girl, who giggled, and ran back out. "Mummy! Come here!" They turned and entered the room across the hall. Sam spread her arms. "This...is you and Dad's room." Hermione looked around. It was a nice, open room, with white curtains and two desks, a bathroom to the side and a queen-sized bed.

"I'll sleep in the guest room tonight," Draco said. He was at a dresser, pulling a change of clothes out. Hermione shook her head. "No. I'll take the guest room. This is your room, you stay here." He straightened up and looked at her. "It's _our_ room, Hermione. And if I sleep in here tonight...it'll just be strange." Sam piped up. "Daddy slept in my room, on the floor, while you were gone, Mummy. He doesn't want to sleep in here, so it's okay." Draco let out a half laugh, almost self deprecating. "Why don't you go get ready for bed, honey? I'll be there to tuck you in, okay?" Sam nodded and ran out, turning before she reached the door. "Will you come too, Mummy?" Hermione instantly smiled reassuringly. "Yeah, of course." The little girl smiled and left. Hermione turned back to Draco. "It's okay, Draco. I can take the guest room. I...I sort of am a guest, so it's fine."

He looked upset and frustrated. "Just...just take this bed, Hermione. I don't...I don't want to sleep in here." He took a deep breath and started to leave, but she turned, feeling slightly stubborn. "Why? What's wrong with it?" He stopped with his back to her. "It smells like you." Without turning around or saying anything more, he walked out of the room, posture stiff. She stood in shock for a minute. The sound of Sam calling her-and Draco-jolted her out of it and she slowly moved towards the door. She felt out of sorts here, and she realized it was just now sinking in, she was married to Draco Malfoy, someone that she only knew as cruel and prejudiced, and he loved her. He loved her enough that even when she had pushed him away simply because she didn't remember him, refused to even attempt to give him another chance, he still loved her and missed her. For a minute she felt the world spin around her too quickly and she panicked, considered leaving, staying with Harry, or just leaving. She could probably Apparate out of here-

" 'Mione?"

She looked up and Draco was in the doorway. The present came crashing back down onto her. She blinked. "Y-yeah?" He inclined his head. "Sam?" She started. "Right!"

As she walked into the little girl's room, and saw Draco move across to pull the blankets up around the little girl, who was talking non-stop, she felt a pang. _Their_ daughter. She reaffirmed the feeling she had had earlier. She wanted to be a mother. And she didn't want to give up Sam. If Draco came with that, she found herself not minding so much anymore.

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up to the smell of food and the sound of voices. Getting out of bed, she made her way downstairs. She turned and entered the kitchen, where Sam sat on a stool at the counter, chattering about the gnomes she'd seen in the garden this morning. On the other side of the counter, Draco stood to surprise her again. He was wearing a white T-shirt and dark sweatpants. And he was cooking. Pancakes on the stove, strawberries in a dish and eggs in a bowl. She gaped for a minute before they noticed her and Sam jumped off her stool and ran over to pull her into a seat next to the little girl. She sat slowly, watching Draco. "I didn't know you could cook." He smiled. "Morning." She laughed a little. "Good morning." He passed her and Sam a plate, and began to dispense pancakes between the three of them. She took the syrup as Draco came and sat on the other side of Sam. "Muggle clothes?"

He gave a smile, looking shy. "Yeah. They're comfortable." She chuckled as Sam took the syrup from her. A warm feeling settled over Hermione. She couldn't quite place it, but she felt safe, like she belonged. Struck with emotion, she pressed a kiss to the top of her daughter's head, and dug into the pancakes, listening to Sam as she resumed her story.

When she was done eating, Hermione put her plate in the sink and ran water onto it. Draco followed suit, coming up behind her. He took breath. "Look, Hermione-" The sound of a Floo portal being activated interrupted them and they turned to watch. Harry's head popped up and the moved over and crouched down to talk to him. He seemed almost breathless. "Frank's willing to talk," he said in a rush. "But only to Hermione. You need to get down here." He disappeared with a pop. Hermione and Draco looked at each other and then rose in a flurry. Draco called for Sam. Hermione looked at him askew until he explained that he would drop her off at Ginny's. She grabbed her wand and shoes and grabbed some Floo powder. "I'll see you there?" she asked. He looked up at her, surprised, but then nodded. "Yeah. Right behind you." She stepped into the fireplace and dropped the powder.

* * *

Upon arriving, she was immediately whisked away by Harry and another Auror. They quickly explained as they walked. "You'll be in the same room, but separated by a magical barrier. There are a heap of restraining spells on him, and you can keep your wand on you. Just be careful, and don't let him mess with your head," Harry said. "Plus, we'll be monitoring it the whole time, nothing will happen to you." Hermione nodded. "Alright."

She stepped into the room, and sat in the chair opposite him. It was a very crime-show setup, with a table between them, him chained to the floor and a mirror on the wall. Neither of them said anything for a minute. Hermione watched him with a raised brow and he sullenly refused to meet her gaze. Then, suddenly, his head snapped up and he stared directly at her. "Why are you here?"

She was taken aback. "You wanted to speak with me. So, speak." He laughed. "I didn't think they'd let you come. Too dangerous and all that." Hermione smirked. "I'm in no danger whatsoever." He didn't let his smile drop. Then he changed courses. "Do you remember, as a child, when our powers began to develop that we where able to do wandless magic?" She eyed him skeptically before answering. "...Yes. Why?" He was still smiling. Then he closed his eyes. " _"Obliviate."_ She pulled back in alarm, and other wizards rushed in, but he was slumped back in his chair, seemingly unconscious. They revived him rather roughly and when he did, he seemed unfocused, bleary. He frowned up at everyone. "What-what-who are you people?"

* * *

 **End Note: So, yeah. Sorry. And I hope it wasn't too boring/mushy. Always open to advice! Ily guys.**


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: Thank you everyone for reading and for waiting. I'm sorry it's slow. The story is over halfway done now though, I think I'll be going to about 15 chapters.**

 **A guest asked if Ginny was with anyone, and I've been wondering if I should introduce anyone. I know a lot of people ship her with Blaise Zabini, and I was wondering what you guys think. Him or someone else (original character)?**

* * *

Chapter 8

Hermione was pacing back and forth when the Healer, Harry and Draco came out of the holding cell. "Is he faking his memory being gone?" she asked. Her voice was tense, panicky. Was her only chance to get her memories back gone? Draco and Harry both looked similar. "We don't think he is," Harry said. Hermione slowly sat back down. Draco started pacing. "How did this happen? And how did you guys get nothing out of him? You had him for over twelve hours!" Harry sighed. "Well, that's something I had to talk to you about. We tried basic questioning procedures yesterday, and when nothing happened, we went with Veritaserum. Hermione..." he hesitated. "He was able to resist the Veritaserum. It didn't work on him. So we've been trying to figure something out, how to remove that and other stuff, but we'd gotten no further when he said he'd speak to you. I guess he just wanted to have you watch firsthand him destroy your chance at getting your memories back."

Draco's back stiffened. "That's not the only way. We're going to get her memories back." Harry winced. "That's not what I meant, guys. Of course we're going to get her memories back." He looked at Hermione, but she off somewhere, her thinking mode on. "How did he resist the Veritaserum?" she asked, almost dreamily. The two men looked at her. Harry shrugged. "They'd been trying to figure that out. They think maybe he installed some kind of block in his mind." Hermione bit her lip, thinking. "We should try it again. Maybe with his memories gone, because he quite literally cleared his mind, the block will be gone."

Harry sighed. "What good will that do us?"

"We can find out if he's faking."

"How will we know if it's working?" Draco's voice was skeptical, but his face was hopeful. Hermione began to pace, hope beginning to spread through her now. "We can use trick questions, stuff like that. Slip something into a conversation, I don't know." Draco didn't look excited. "How will that help, Hermione? If he has truly forgotten everything, then he can't help us. If he's faking it, then he's still impervious to the Veritaserum."

Hermione let out a frustrated groan. "But then at least we'll know which it is and we can proceed from there." She turned to Harry. "Did they ever restore Lockhart's memories?" He was starting to look hopeful as well. "Um, I don't know. I'll-I'll find out! He turned and nearly ran off towards the Floo portals. She turned to Draco, looking at him hopefully, but her face dropped slightly when she saw his. She groaned. "What now?" He sat down, looking away from her. "Nothing. I just...don't feel that this is the best use of our time in this situation." She glared. "Well, it's my memories, my stalker, my call. If you don't like it, you can leave." She sat down across from him, and the two proceeded to ignore each other for the next fifteen minutes.

When Harry returned, breathless and looking like he brought good news, he found them, and instantly took on an exasperated face. "Really? I wasn't even gone half a hour. Did you guys fight?" The two of shrugged and Hermione addressed Harry. "So...what did you find out?"

"Well, good news, Lockhart has recovered his memories. Bad news, even with the medi-magical steps Healers have been making in that department, there's still only so much they can do. It might take up to five or six years." The other two magicians both looked horrified and upset, but before they could say anything, Harry held up a hand to stop them. "Not done. That is the bad news." He smiled. "Good news. The Healers that have been working on your memory loss think that Frank basically _Obliviated_ you. It's still more complex than that, not just a simple memory restoration, but your memories could come back over time."

Hermione didn't know whether to be glad or not. "What, in five years? Minimum?" Harry's face dropped a little. "At the moment. But at least this means it's not forever." Draco stood up. His face was hard. "Well, since you guys seem to have all this covered, I'm going to pick up _my_ daughter. I'll see you tomorrow morning, Harry." He turned and strode of off without a backwards glance. Harry turned and looked at Hermione and shook his head. She squirmed. "What?"

He put his arm around her shoulder. "I am going to do everything in my power to ensure you get your memories back, and so is everyone that can. But Draco-he has lost the most here by you losing your memories. The woman he loves, the mother of his child, his partner, his...soul mate." He laughed awkwardly. "He just wants to do something physical, something that feels like it's actually going somewhere."

Hermione stopped walking. "You know, you keep forgetting that I can't remember anything, Harry! I don't know that Draco is a good person, or that we actually had a kid together, any of that! What I do remember is that Draco treated me like I was dirt at Hogwarts, that his aunt _tortured_ me!" She took a breath. "What I will admit is that in the past few weeks, I have seen that he has changed. He's become someone that contributes to the world in a good way, and that way that he treats Sam, and how he has made amends for what's he has done, but I just don't see how only that convinced me to marry him."

Harry was beyond exasperated by this point. "What's he's done to atone for his past mistakes didn't convince you to marry him, Hermione. What he did with his life after the War in general helped, but it didn't convince you. _You_ convinced you. _You_ worked with him and _you_ gave him a second chance." He took a breath. "Ginny told me what you're planning to do whether or not you get your memories back."

Hermione groaned. "Of course she did." He laughed. "I'm not worried. When you get your memories back, you're not going to "take a break," Hermione. That's how much you love him." He turned and left, following the same path as Draco, leaving Hermione there alone with her thoughts.

* * *

Draco was putting Sam to bed when he heard a voice call him. Drawing his wand, he moved out to the entryway-and lowered it when he saw his wife. "Hermione? You knew how to get here? What-what do you need?" She took a breath. "I've...been hearing a lot of things about us, our relationship, our lives. And I've realized that when I get my memories back, I probably won't want to leave you. And, I don't know, maybe that's okay. But that could be years away. That's not fair to your or **our** daughter. So...I-if this is okay with you, I'd like to live here? As a guest, even, just so I can get to know my daughter? And...even get to know you. You can say no if you want! I would unders-"

Draco cut her off. " 'Mione!" He looked at her with an affectionately exasperated face. "Of course you can live here."

* * *

 **End Note: Boom! Here we go with the romance! Whaddya think? Review, pretty please.**

 **Also, I will be taking this plot line, and applying it to a few other ships I'm super invested in in the near future. If you're curious as to what fandoms, or have any suggestions, leave a comment. Thank you guys! You keep me writing. Oh, and enjoy the pun, :)**

 **Stupid pun note: hermimories. Don't hate me.**


	9. Chapter 9

_Previously:_

 _Draco was putting Sam to bed when he heard a voice call him. "Hermione? What-what do you need?"_

 _She took a breath. I'd like to live here? As a guest, even, just so I can get to know my daughter? And...even get to know you. You can say no if you want! I would unders-"_

 _Draco cut her off. " 'Mione!" He looked at her with an affectionately exasperated face. "Of course you can live here."_

 _Two Weeks Later_

"Sam! Come on! We're going to be late to Aunt Ginny's party!" Hermione called up the stairs. Draco came up behind her, buttoning his shirt. She glanced and then looked away quickly, awkwardly. Ever since she had "moved in", things hadn't necessarily been tense, but there was the knowledge that she was married to Draco, the fact that Sam was confused by her parents sleeping in two separate rooms, the fact that sometimes Draco would come home and start talking about something that she didn't understand, and she would stare at him puzzled until he abruptly stopped and muttered apologies. The rest of the night would be quiet, with their daughter doing most of the talking.

However, today, Ginny was having a party for Harry's upcoming birthday, as he would be in Romania when the actual day rolled around, making some negotiations with the vampires there. The Malfoy family was having a hard time leaving as Sam couldn't seem to find a present for "Uncle Harry." She hadn't wanted to go shopping, but was trying to make something of her own with her magic. After a few more moments, the little girl came running down the stairs. She was holding a wrapped gift. "Ready!" Draco chuckled. "You sure?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, Daddy. Let's go! I don't to be late!"

"Oh, _now_ you're worried about that," Draco teased, reaching down, to pick her up for Apparation. He held a hand out for Hermione, then caught himself and turned. "Um...you want to come by yourself?" Hermione froze, but then shook it off and held out her hand with more confidence then she really felt. "No. I'm sure you know how to get us there." He was taken aback, but she saw a smile partially appear on his face. He took her hand and they Apparated away.

* * *

Ginny was nervous. Ginny Weasley, bad-ass extraordinaire, creator of hexes, best friend to one of the smartest, most powerful witches of this age, was nervous. She was pacing throughout the house and yard as she set up things for the party with flicks of her wand,and mumbling to herself. A pop behind her signaled the arrival of early guests and she whirled around, ready to get angry when she saw her brother. "Oh, Ron. Finally. I've been waiting for you to come. I need your help with the canopies." He nodded. "Harry'll becoming along later. Hermione and Draco here yet?" She shook her head. "No, and I haven't heard from them. But they'll be here." She moved to one side of a large piece of cloth and she and her brother began to work in companionable silence as they went to work setting up the party area.

Contrary to what many had originally thought, Ginny had never been upset with her brother and ex-boyfriend's relationship. When Harry and Ron had come to her, confused and scared, she realized she had a choice. Be outraged and hate two of the people she loved most in the world over something that none of them had control over, or accept it, be mature and continue to love her brothers. Because that's what they were. Brothers.

When the red-headed siblings had finished, they collapsed into lawn chairs to rest, only to be disturbed by the first of the guests arriving. Ginny moved through the crowd,taking gifts and welcoming everyone. Harry arrived soon and was immediately swarmed by people eager to wish him a happy birthday. Ginny found her brother and pulled him aside.

"Where are Hermione and Draco?"

As Ron began to look worried, a pop behind them announced the arrival of more guests and they turned around to be greeted with their friends and their daughter. Ginny sighed with relief. "Finally! What kept you?"

Draco laughed and hugged her. "Sam had to find the perfect gift. How are you?"

Ginny groaned. "Busy. Go help set up the food trays. I don't trust the servers to magic them everywhere willy-nilly. She narrowed her eyes and moved past them. "Hey! That's not how we water roses, young man!" Before she left, she reached out and touched Hermione's arm. "Hey...I need to talk to you. Later?"Hermione nodded and watched her leave, consternation knitting her face. She turned back to her daughter. "Shall we find Uncle Harry and give him your present?" Sam nodded eagerly and grabbed her mother's hand. "Let's go!"

* * *

After the party was over, Hermione found Ginny, who was running around, magicking things back to their original state, and directing people around. She took her arm. "Gin, got it. Just...come and talk.

,

The two of them sat down on lawn chairs and Ginny pulled her's closer. "So, you don't remember this, obviously, but people have really changed.m after the war. Like...I don't know, Blaise Zabini." She glanced up at Hermione. "And I might work with him and he might have asked me out, annnnd, I might have said yes."

The two of them stared at each other for a minute. Hermione nodded slowly. "Okay."

Ginny looked taken aback. "Okay? That's it?" Then she laughed and jumped up. "Well, now I just have to tell my family." Her smile dropped. "Fu-"

"Hey! No swearing around my kid," Draco said, walking up to them, Sam's hand in his. Ginny winced.

"Sorry."

"It's alright." He looked at Hermione. "Do you need more time?" She looked back at Ginny, who gave her an awkward thumbs up.

"No, I'm good." She reached out her hand to him. "Let's go home."

* * *

The next morning, Hermione woke up with her daughter snuggled up with her under the covers. She tucked her hair away from her face and slid out slowly. Going downstairs, she found Draco cooking his pajamas, humming softly. "Hey," she murmured, watching him flip eggs. He turned partially.

"Hey. Sleep well?" Hermione nodded.

"Why is Sam in my bed? Did something happen?" Draco turned fully to her.

"She is?"

Hermione nodded. "Does she just sometimes go sleep in there?"

"She has bad dreams sometimes." He hesitated. "She comes in and sleeps with us when that happens." Hermione was worried now.

"Why does she have bad dreams?" she asked.

"Well, it's nothing serious, just run-of-the-mill monsters, y'know, but she's a little kid. She needs her parents." He pursed his lips. "They're getting less frequent though."

The sound of feet on the stairs jolted them and Draco smiled. "Speak of the devil," he said as a little blond head rounded the corner. The girl climbed up onto a stool at the counter and yawned. "Daddy...I had a bad dream last night and you weren't with Mommy when I went in." He placed eggs in front of her and Hermione and stroked her hair. "Well, remember we talked about this. Mommy and Daddy are sleeping in separate beds right now." Sam frowned and picked up her fork. "But why? You and Mommy have always slept together." Hermione sat down next to her daughter. "Right now...we can't, love. But one day, hopefully..." she trailed off looking at Draco. "Hopefully we'll get back to normal."

After they'd eaten, Draco put the plates in the sink. "You ready to go?"

She nodded and the three of them Apparated to the Ministry of Magic. Two wizards were waiting for her and welcomed them. "Are you ready to begin, Mrs. Malfoy?" they asked.

"Yes." They walked into a room where healers were waiting for her. Draco squeezed her shoulder, and left, taking Sam. The others turned to her and they began working with the spells to continue on the path to restoring her memories.

* * *

Harry Potter sat across from one of the people, who, since Voldemort was one of his most current enemy was also drooling. He sighed. "Frank? Can you hear me?"

The man in question's head snapped up. "What?" Harry stared, unamused. "Do you know where you are?" Frank shook his head back and forth like a child.

"Jail?"

Harry groaned. "No. Look, I'm going to give you something to drink-" A man burst through the door.

"Mr. Potter, you gotta come quick. Mrs. Malfoy, she-she suddenly got all her memories back, and we have no idea why. We didn't do it." Harry jumped up.

"Well, that's great! Let's go." The wizard stopped him.

"There's a problem, sir. She incapacitated everyone in the room with wandless magic and then disappeared. Two of them are dead." His face grew even more grim. "Then she...she took her daughter and left her husband to die after hexing him."


	10. Chapter 10

**It's good to be back! I've gotten a lot of welcome backs and feelings about the new chapter, which is great, and...I'm sorry. :) It'll all be fixed soon. And Happy late New Year, BTW.**

* * *

 _Previously:_

 _"Mr. Potter, you gotta come quick. Mrs. Malfoy, she-she suddenly got all her memories back, and we have no idea why. We didn't do it."_

 _"There's a problem, sir. She incapacitated everyone in the room with wandless magic and then disappeared. Two of them are dead." His face grew even more grim. "Then she...she took her daughter and left her husband to die after hexing him."_

* * *

 _Two Weeks Later_

Draco ran his hands through his hair as he watched a new spell of his run across a map of the world. He wasn't confident though. Hermione had only gotten more clever with age, and with the no humanity on her side, she wouldn't be found without wanting to be found.

The map fizzled and then burst into flames, causing him to groan and extinguish the flames with his wand. He pushed the burnt paper off the table and thumped his head on the table. The action caused him to wince as the spell that Hermione had used on him was bone-deep and still hadn't healed. He rubbed his side absently as he stared off. A knock on the door jolted him out of the trance, and he looked up to see Harry watching him with that look people get. That pitying look they get as they try to treat you normally. He glared at the dark-haired man. "No pity. Any news?" Harry shook his head and came to sit down. He watched as Draco absently touched his wound again.

"Reminds me of Hogwarts. When I hit you with that _Sectumsempra_ spell." Draco scoffed and leaned back.

"Yeah, this was worse. No offense." Harry nodded.

"None taken. Listen...Draco, you've pretty much spent the past two weeks looking for Hermione. Your daughter needs you. Your family misses you. We miss you. You need to take a break or you're gonna collapse."

Draco sighed. "I know. I just...I feel like if I stop, I'm giving up on her. Hermione's still in there, I know, just under some sort of curse brought on by getting her memories back. I just..have to figure out how to break it. It would be easier _with_ Hermione of course," he muttered.

Harry smiled. "You'll figure it out. Now come on. Eat with us at Molly's tonight, see your daughter. Shower maybe," he joked, standing up and waiting for Draco expectantly. Slowly, the blond stood up, gathering his things and the two moved towards the Floo portals.

* * *

Arriving at the Weasley's house, Draco was greeted by a blond tornado as his daughter tackled him with a shout and a hundred questions about her mom and where he'd been. Molly pulled him away with a hug, but no prying, and handed him clean clothes. "Shower dear, then hurry back. Supper's almost done."

He took the clothes from her with a mock frown. "Why does everyone think I need to shower?"

"Because you do!" Ron called.

As the family sat down to eat, there was a raucous din as everyone talked over each other, chattering about both everyday things and more serious matters, such as Hermione's disappearance. Slowly the children and younger people left to play, and the adults gathered to talk about what had happened.

"So, as soon as she got her memories back, she became this...whole other person. She hexed everyone around her, then Apparated. Out of the most heavily enchanted places in the Wizarding World," Ron said. "I still don't understand that part, even though it's Hermione." Draco rested his head on his hands.

"Yeah, same here. Apparation is impossible, getting her memories back all of the sudden was impossible, none of this should be happening." He sat up, frustrated. "There has got to be some explanation to what happened."

"But no one alive after the attack knew anything, saw anything," Harry said. Draco nodded. Then a thought struck him.

"Maybe that was their plan. Whoever put that curse on her didn't want any witnesses."

"Well, that would be the most practical thing to do," Ginny said. "But that one Healer that came and found you, he saw what happened. Right?" The adults sat in silence for several minutes and Draco felt his eyes drooping and he put his head down on the table. The next thing he knew, Harry was moving him to a bed in the spare room, and he was sleeping.

* * *

The next morning, he dragged himself out of bed. had breakfast with his family, trying to seem like he wasn't in a hurry. Then he left, saying goodbyes, peeling his daughter away from him and Apparating back to his house. There he began work again.

The cycle repeated for the next two weeks after this. Draco worked day and night on spells, investigating and research. Every few days he, went to see his daughter and ate with Harry's family. It took a month before they found something.

Harry burst in the door and yelled for Draco, who Apparated down in a flash, scaring Harry senseless. "Oh, for the love of-"

"Did you find something?" Draco demanded, cutting him off. Harry recovered and nodded.

"They figured out how to undo Frank's memory loss."

* * *

The two of them appeared at the Ministry in a burst of green smoke and Draco lept out of the fireplace, hurrying down the hall. Several wizards had Frank restrained to a table in a observational room. He was being fed a potion through a tube down his throat and after swallowing it, he convulsed, then fell unconscious. Draco was tense as he watched them revive him and begin to question him. After a minute, they Stupefied him and then looked up and nodded to the two Aurors.

Later, a still bound Frank was brought before the two men. Draco smiled, an old Draco smirk from Hogwarts time. "Hi Frank." The American growled at him.

"I'll never tell you anything, Malfoy."

"Sure you will. You wanna know why? In restoring your memories, we didn't replace the block you had in your mind. And now-" he held up a small vial. "You will tell us all you know." Harry helped him administer the Veritaserum to the criminal, and they sat back down, watching his face become more dreamy as the potion affected him. Harry smiled.

"So, Frank, what sort of memory charm did you put on Hermione?"

"I modified a Oblivious spell. Added some other components so that when she regained her memories, she would escape wherever she was at the time, and go to the designated place in her mind."

Draco clenched his jaw. "And where is this place?"

"I don't know," Frank said. He looked at Draco. "I was never told." Draco stood up.

"You have a partner. Who are they?" he demanded. Frank laughed.

"He is-"

The room exploded and dust and mortar flew around them, knocking the three to the ground. Draco slowly pulled himself up, the ringing in his ears subsiding to bring in the sounds of people screaming around him, and Harry pulling him to his feet. He looked around wildly, then moved across to retrieve Frank, who was groggy and still restrained. Pulling up the man, he dragged him out, followed by Harry. Both men drew their wands and looked around. Draco shook Frank. "Is this part of the plan? Are these your friends?" Frank laughed again and shook his head.

"This...is your friend."

Draco felt dread creep into his bones. He looked up, and he saw her. Hermione moving towards them through the dust and smoke. He grabbed at Harry. "Potter..." Harry's expression was equally horrified. He moved towards his friend.

" 'Mione, it's me, Harry."

Hermione looked blankly at him. "I know your name." She brushed past him and stopped at seeing Draco. "You're alive."

Draco scoffed. "Yeah, sorry about that." He grabbed her arm as she tried to move past him. "Hermione, what are you doing? If you know who we are, you have to know this is wrong." His wife pulled away from him.

"I. Don't. Care." She reached out for Frank, and then jerked forward and collapsed. Harry stood behind her, wand outstretched and a remorseful look on his face.

"Sorry, Hermione, but...this isn't you," he said. Draco knelt down next to her, brushing the hair out of her face.

"We'll figure out what happened to you, love." He suddenly remembered how that would happen, and he lept up, looking around for Frank. He was gone.

Then he saw him. Scurrying away amid the commotion. He yelled after him, but it was too loud for anyone to hear him. He started after him, wand drawn, jumping over rubble and brushing past people. Frank was almost to the Floo portals when a figure came in through the green fireplaces and grabbed Frank. Before Draco could react, he cut the American's throat and dropped him. Then he stepped back into the portal and disappeared.

Draco was aware he screamed. Now all he felt was crushing rage at the last chance to fix his wife being dead. He reached Frank's body and turned him over, trying to resuscitate him, to no avail. A hand came down on his shoulder and Harry crouched down next to him, his face worried. "Hermione's with some healers, you should probably see one too. There's nothing you can do about this, Draco." Draco didn't move.

"I should be able to," he said, still crouched. "Why can't I figure this out?" He rubbed his head and looked up at Harry. "She's my wife, and...this whole time, I haven't been able to do anything." Harry dropped back down to sit besides Draco.

"Draco Malfoy. You are not giving up on anything here. You are one of the smartest people I have ever met. After Hermione, of course," he added. "If anyone can figure it out, it's you." Draco smiled.

"Yeah." Then he stood up. "I'll figure out what it is. Somehow." He helped Harry to his feet and the two stood side by side for a second. Then the blond turned to his friend. "I want to see her."

* * *

Draco sat by his wife's bedside, studying her face, waiting for her to wake up. She had been restrained, and a magical damper put around her, weakening her abilities. Personally, he despised the method, but for now, it was a necessary evil. He leaned back and closed his eyes with a groan. Then he heard her stir. He sat up quickly and motioned to a Healer outside the door. The tow watched the witch apprehensively and she opened her eyes and tried to sit up, being jerked back by her restraints. She tugged at them and looked up at them angrily. "Release me. Now." Draco's shoulders sagged. Foolishly, he'd hoped she'd awaken back to her old self, memories back and all. No such luck.

"That's not going to happen, Hermione. Not until we've undid whatever Frank and his...cohorts did to you."

She sighed. "Not going to happen. What they did you'll never figure out."

"Hermione." Draco leaned forward. "If you know they did something to you, how can you be on their side, brainwashing or no? They took away your memories in the first place, they made you hurt and kill people!"

Hermione was unimpressed. "I just don't care, Draco. All I know is I'm their ally and I'm fine with that." She tugged at her restraints again. "Just let me go."

Draco closed his eyes. "No. So, you have all your memories back?" She groaned and thumped down.

"Yes. All the missing 12 years, all the years before that, blah blah blah. How much longer are we gonna keep doing this?"

"Until you're better," Ginny said from the doorway, causing the tow to look at her. The redhead came around and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder. "Harry filled me in. It's good to have you back, Hermione. Well, good you're back, not good you're evil."

The other witch raised a brow. "Really? I'm shocked you think that," she said dryly. She looked back to Draco. "You gonna parade all my friends in front of me in hopes of a big breakthrough?"

Draco sighed. "No." He stood up. "C'mon, Ginny. Let's go." He looked back to his wife. "We'll leave the healing to the Healers."

Outside the room, he sagged against the wall and shut his eyes. Ginny came up next to him. "You okay?" He nodded.

"Sort of. It's agonizing to see her like this, even worse than when she didn't recognize me."

Ginny sighed. "Yeah, I know. But they'll fix her. And you can help. You're a very smart wizard, Draco, and you can't give up now."

"Why does everyone keep telling me that?" Draco wondered. "I'm not giving up on her. She's my wife. I'll never stop trying, but...I just feel like the universe is laughing at me. Draco Malfoy, ex-Death Eater, trying to be a good guy." He stood up. "I just have too much bad karma in the way." Ginny sighed.

"I know it feels that way, Draco. Listen, go home. Get some sleep and see your daughter, tell you found her mum, and that she's sick right now. Go be a dad and take a load off, Draco. In the morning, you can start again."

* * *

The next morning, Draco found something. He was at his house, going through old spell books on memory loss and mind control. Besides the Unforgivables, which hadn't been used, there weren't many. So he was pursuing a tome, Controlling and Shaping the Mind, a very small, old book from his family house, he came across a passage.

"...The person affected by this spell shall be rendered to the caster's will for a destined amount of time or until the spell is broken. Under this spell, the person will become like their controller in mannerisms, speech and actions as they are completely stripped of free will and personality."

Draco stood frozen for minute, everything connecting in his mind. Then he ran out of the study, holding the book and to the fireplace, Flooing as fast as he cold to the Ministry.

Arriving, he ran down the halls to Harry's office, where he burst in and waved the book, talking too loud and too fast to be understood. Harry came over and hushed him, looking hopeful, and Draco showed him the passage and the spell. Harry's face brightened and he hugged Draco. "This is great! Now what's the counterspell?" Draco flipped through the book, growing more and more worried.

"I-I don't understand. They mention a counterspell in the verse." Harry took the book from him and looked also.

"Nothing. Maybe there's a second volume? Or a companion?" he asked hopefully. Draco shook his head dejectedly.

"No. This is the only one. I remember Father telling me it was so rare because it was the only book the author ever wrote and there were only two copies produced." He looked up excitedly. "Harry...if we find out who had the other book, we know who the other man working with Frank is! Dangerous books like these have to be registered through the Ministry." Harry nodded.

"Alright, I'll look it up! Who's the...author," his voice trailed off as a look came over his face. Draco frowned.

"Harry?"

The dark-haired man grabbed him again. "Draco. If we find the author as well, they can tell us the countercurse! We can cure Hermione!" He went back to the first few pages of the book. "Who is the author? S.L. Guiseppee." He beamed. "Alright, you find the author, I'll find the other book's owner. Draco, this is it! You found it!" He ran out, leaving Draco, standing there, joy and a feeling of overwhelming shock pouring over him. He was gonna get his wife back and catch the monster who had done this all in the first place.

* * *

 **Well, here you go. This chapter was a little rushed. A little strange. I hope it solved your frustrations, though. And hey, no BAD cliffhangers this time, right? :) It's getting better, see?**

 **This is my last chapter before I return to school though, so they are gonna be a little slower with the updates, but I will not be returning to hiatus until it is finished. Yay!**


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